Data Scouting : A New Trigger Paradigm

TL;DR

Data scouting is a novel trigger paradigm introduced by CMS in 2011 that captures otherwise rejected data by reducing event size, enhancing sensitivity to new light resonances with minimal resource use.

Contribution

This paper introduces data scouting as a new trigger method, detailing its implementation, challenges, solutions, and its adoption as a standard CMS data-taking strategy.

Findings

Data scouting enables capturing low-resource, high-sensitivity data.

It has become a standard component of CMS data collection.

The technique effectively maintains sensitivity to new light resonances.

Abstract

In the year 2011, the CMS collaboration introduced the novel concept of data scouting, allowing to take data that otherwise would be rejected by the usual trigger filters. This special data flow, based on event-size reduction, was created to maintain sensitivity to new light resonances decaying to jets or muons, with very small online and offline resources allocated to it. The challenges implied by this new workflow and the solutions developed within the CMS experiment are shown. This technique is now a standard ingredient for CMS data-taking strategy. The present status of data scouting in CMS is presented.